Written by Johanna Bell
1914. While their men fight in France, at home in Britain women are finally seizing the opportunity to make a difference . . .
Maggie and her new friends Annie, Irene and Sarah come from very different backgrounds, but they’ve got one thing in common: they’ve all signed up for the Women Police Volunteers. They can’t wait to show the men just what they’re made of.
But soon, Maggie realises she’s in over her head. Hiding her involvement with the WPV from her tyrannous father is becoming ever more difficult, and when she bumps into an old acquaintance with a big chip on his shoulder, the dangers of her new life become all too clear . . .
As Maggie and the girls work together to find their feet on the beat, will their friendship get her through the darkest of times?
A gritty, uplifting new saga series about the first ever female police officers, set at the outbreak of the First World War – perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Daisy Styles and Call the Midwife.
A Terrific Debut! 
It’s well documented that I enjoy books set around the domestic scene at the time of both world wars and this is right up there with the best of them!
At the beginning of WWI, women have put aside their suffragette fight to pull together for the good of the country. With so many men called to war, and more taking the King’s shilling every day, there are more opportunities arising for women which, they hope, will lead to the better chances they so desperately dream of. A big step towards this is the setting up of the Women’s Police Volunteers force, which draws women from all walks of life. This is the story of three such young women.
This is a terrific debut and, I hope, the beginning of a wonderfully warm saga. I admit to knowing nothing about the WPV prior to reading this, and I have learned to much. The author has obviously done some thorough research enabling her to create such a fabulous tale with well-rounded characters. It’s a lesson in how people from all classes lived prior to the war, and how things changed as it continued. I’m delighted to see that Johanna Bell is already working on her second book in this series; whilst the first is a good, solid stand-alone read there is so much scope to continue this story and I, for one, will certainly be watching out for the next one! Beautifully crafted and such an attention-grabbing read definitely merits a full five stars.
My thanks to publisher Hodder & Stoughton for my copy via NetGalley; as always, this is my honest, original and unbiased review.
Tags: historical saga, WWI
- Format: ebook, paperback, audio
- Size: 336 pages
- Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
- Publication Date: 31 October 2019
- Purchase Links: Google Play
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- W. H. Smith
- Waterstones
- amazon
Author Bio
Johanna Bell was born in London and grew up in Surrey. Her first job was as a children’s party organiser and lifeguard at a local leisure centre. She made the switch to journalism after leaving school and training for her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. Johanna worked as a local and national journalist for more than 15 years before making the move to books following her daughter’s birth. Her passion for history, and in particular the world wars, comes from listening to her Grandad’s stories of life on the frontline during World War Two and her love for her cousin who died serving for the Royal Marines in Northern Ireland.
Johanna lives in Surrey with her husband, their daughter and their scruffy dog Boris. Her debut The Bobby Girls is due for release in October 2019. She is currently working on the second book in the series; The Bobby Girls’ Secrets – set to be published in May 2020.
Social Media
Twitter: @JoBoOfTheShire@JoBoOfTheShire
Facebook: @JohannaJournalist
Grace J Reviewerlady 